Strawberry plant named `Mirador`

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named `Mirador`, botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa Duch. The closest known variety is `Commander`. The new variety is a day-neutral fruit bearing variety. The new variety is characterized from `Commander` by its globose plant habit, strong interveinal leaf-blistering, sparse to medium petiole pubescence, moderate to marked difference in fruit shape between primary and secondary fruit, absent or very narrow fruit band without achenes, dark red fruit skin color, medium fruit glossiness, smaller to same size of calyx in relation to the fruit, medium to late time of flowering, mid-season to late time of fruiting, and day-neutral type of fruit bearing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of strawberry plant was selected as a seedling in acontrolled breeding plot at a ranch in Ventura County, Calif., U.S.A.,on or about October 1994. The new variety originated as a result of acontrolled cross between the strawberry plants named `Irvine`, U.S.Plant Pat. No. 7,172, and `Key Largo`, U.S. Pat. No. 8,649, in anon-going breeding program. The seedling of the new variety was grown andasexually propagated by stolons at the nursery of Driscoll StrawberryAssociates, Inc., in McArthur, Shasta County, Calif. The new variety wasfurther asexually propagated and extensively tested. This propagationand testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosedherein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true totype through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety.The varietal denomination of the new variety is `Mirador` (formerlyknown as `DX-5`). The variety is botanically identified atFragaria×ananassa Duch. Among the characteristics which distinguish thenew variety from other varieties of which we are a combination of traitswhich include plant habit, interveinal leaf blistering, petiolepubescence, the difference in fruit shape between primary and secondaryfruit, band on fruit without achenes, fruit skin color, fruitglossiness, size of calyx in relation to the fruit, time of flowering,time of fruiting, and type of bearing.

COMPARISON TO CLOSEST VARIETIES

The variety which we believe to be closest to `Mirador` from those knownto us is `Commander` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,024). There are severalcharacteristics of the new variety that are different from, or notpossessed by `Commander`. For example, the plant habit of `Mirador` isglobose, while that of `Commander` is flat globose. The interveinalblistering of the leaves of `Mirador` is strong, while that of`Commander` is weak. The petiole pubescence of `Mirador` is sparse tomedium in density, while that of `Commander` is dense. The difference infruit shape between primary and secondary fruit for `Mirador` ismoderate to marked, while that of `Commander` is none or very slight.The band on the Fruit without achenes of `Mirador` is absent or verynarrow, while that of `Commander` is narrow. The fruit skin color of`Mirador` is dark red, while that of `Commander` is orange red. Thefruit glossiness of `Mirador` is medium, while that of `Commander` isstrong. The size of the calyx in relation to the fruit of `Mirador` issmaller to the same size, while that of `Commander` is the same size tolarger. The time of flowering of `Mirador` is medium to late, while thatof `Commander` is early to medium. The time of fruiting of `Mirador` ismid-season to late, while that of `Commander` is early to medium.Lastly, `Mirador` is a day-neutral fruit bearing variety, while`Commander` is partially everbearing.

Regarding isozyme analysis, the phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI) isozymebanding pattern for `Mirador` is A3 while that for `Commander` is A4 .The leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) isozyme banding pattern for `Mirador`is B3, with the slower migrating band staining more weakly than typicalin others possessing the B3 pattern, while that for `Commander` is B3.The phosphoglucomutase (PGM) isozyme banding pattern for `Mirador` and`Commander` is C4. All isozyme analyses were conducted using leaftissue. See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684 (1981).

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Isozyme Analysis for `Mirador` and Commander`                                             Cultivar                                                          Locus         `Mirador`                                                                              `Commander`                                            ______________________________________                                        PGI           A3       A4                                                     LAP            B3*     B3                                                     PGM           C4       C4                                                     ______________________________________                                         The `Commander` isozyme data is from U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,024.               *B3 with the slower migrating band staining more weakly than typical in       others possesssing the B3 pattern.                                       

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety,including fruit, foliage and flowers, in color as nearly true as it isreasonably possible to make in color illustrations of thesecharacteristics.

FIG. 1 shows typical whole fruit and the fruit in longitudinal section,illustrating the typical flesh and flesh coloration, core and shape ofthe new variety.

FIG. 2 shows the upper surface of two typical folioles of the newvariety.

FIG. 3 shows the flowers and reproductive organs of the new variety, aswell as the size and position petals and sepals.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description of the new variety is based uponobservations taken of plants and fruit grown in experimental test plotsin 1997 at the J&D ranch in Santa Cruz County, Calif., U.S.A. The plantmaterial was planted in the fall of 1996 and grown in a forcing system.Observations of `Mirador` and `Commander` were taken in a side-by-sidecomparison in May 1997. Additional measurements were taken in Floridaduring the 1997-98 and 1998-99 growing seasons. This description is inaccordance with UPOV terminology. Color designations, colordescriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from thestated values and descriptions depending upon variation inenvironmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. Colors aredescribed using standard Munsell Notation.

Propagation

The new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Althoughpropagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods ofpropagating strawberry plants may be employed.

Characteristics of the New Variety

The following information is provided to describe the new variety.

Plant: The plants are of open to medium density with globose habit andstrong vigor. Specifically, at fruiting the average height and averagewidth of `Mirador` are 13.5 cm and 28.1 cm, respectively.

Leaves: The upperside of the leaves are medium to dark green with aMunsell color rating of 2.9GY 2.3/3.6. The underside of the leaves aregray-green which is not included on the Munsell color cascade.

The leaf profile is concave to slightly concave and there is stronginterveinal leaf-blistering. Plants have three leaflets only. Theleaflet shape is oval to slightly spatulate. The terminal leaflet marginprofile is flat and the length-to-width ratio of the terminal leaflet isas long as broad. The leaves have medium glossiness. The shape of thebase of the terminal leaflet is rounded and the teeth of the terminalleaflet are rounded. The shape of the terminal leaf apex is rounded. Theaverage terminal leaflet width of `Mirador` is 7.6 cm. The averageterminal leaflet length of `Mirador` is 7.7 cm. The venation of theleaflets is pinnate.

The petiole has sparse to medium pubescence and the pose of the petiolehairs is outwards to slightly upwards. The average petiole length of`Mirador` is 9.2 cm. The average petiole diameter of `Mirador` 0.5 cm.The Munsell color rating for petiole color of `Mirador` is 3.7GY6.0/10.7.

Stolons: `Mirador` has a medium number of stolons that are of mediumthickness to thick with weak to medium anthocyanin coloration and mediumpubescence.

Inflorescence: The position of the inflorescence is from level with toabove the foliage. The flowers are medium in size. The average flowerdiameter is 3.6 cm. The aspect or appearance of the flower of `Mirador`has the typical look and shape of the species. The petal color is whitewhich is not included on the Munsell color cascade. The anther color hasa Munsell color rating of 1.6Y 7.7 /15.4. The average petal length of`Mirador` is 1.4 cm. The average petal width is 1.6 cm. The texture ofthe petals is smooth.

The diameter of the calyx is about the same size as the corolla. Theaverage calyx diameter is 3.9 cm. On secondary flowers, the diameter ofthe inner calyx is the same size as the outer calyx. On secondaryflowers with 5 to 6 petals, the petals are touching to overlapping. Thepetal length-to-width ratio on secondary flowers is broader than theyare long.

The fruiting trusses are medium to long in length and the attitude atfirst picking is semi-erect. The average number of flowers per fruitingtruss of `Mirador` is 2.92. The average yield for `Mirador` in the1997-1998 fruiting season was 314g of fruit/plant. The yield of`Mirador` is above average compared to other varieties. The fruitingtruss of `Mirador` is moderate to highly branched.

Fruit: Observations of the fruit were taken of secondary fruit on oneyear old plants. Strawberry plants possess a branching inflorescence, orpeduncle, having a primary (first) flower which is the largest andsecondary flowers which are on the lateral branches. "Secondary fruit"are those that develop from secondary flowers which develop from lateralbuds on the peduncle. One year old plants are those which are in theirfirst year in the fruiting field. The fruit are predominantly conical inshape. The fruit ratio of length to maximum width is as long as broad.The fruit are medium to large in size. The average length and diameterof the fruit is 3.4 cm and 2.4 cm, respectively. The average weight ofthe fruit is 17.7g/ berry as measured in the 1997-1998 fruiting season.There is a moderate to marked difference in fruit shape between theprimary and secondary fruits. The average length and width of theprimary fruit are 4.0 cm, respectively. The average length/width ratioof the primary fruit is 1.18. The band without achenes is absent or verynarrow. The fruit surface has a weak unevenness.

Fruit Color: The fruit skin color is slightly uneven to even dark redwith a Munsell color rating of 7.5R 2.1/6.1 and medium glossiness. Theinsertion of the achenes is from level with the surface to above thesurface of the fruit. The achenes are yellow (Munsel color rating 9.1YR7.3/15.7) but darken to a red color when exposed to sunlight (Munsellcolor rating 6.7R 3. /13.1) The calyx is inserted from in a basin tolevel with the fruit and the pose of the calyx segments is reflexed. Thecalyx diameter is from smaller to the same size as the fruit diameter.The adherence of the calyx to the fruit is strong.

The fruit flesh is firm when fully ripe. The color of the fruit flesh isorange red with a Munsell color rating of 7.0R 4.3/16.4. The fruit fleshcolor is slightly uneven, and the fruit flesh color distribution ismarginal and central. The fruit has a medium sized hollow center.

The fruit has a medium to strong sweetness, with weak to medium acidityand medium texture.

The time of flowering when 50% of the plants are at first flower ismedium to late.

The harvest maturity when 50% of the plants possess ripe fruit ismid-season to late.

`Mirador` is a day-neutral bearing variety. Day-neutral bearingstrawberry varieties are characterized as plants for which flowering isunaffected by photoperiod. See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 109(3):396-400(1984).

Chilling Requirements: `Mirador` has only been tested extensively inFlorida in a green plant system. In this system, plants are transplantedfrom the nursery to the fruiting field with the leaves intact. Chillingis not a requirement is this system.

Resistance to Stress

The new variety `Mirador` is moderately resistant to high pH and highsoil salt levels.

Disease Resistance and Susceptibility

The `Mirador` fruit is moderately susceptible to decay by Botrytis fruitrot. `Mirador` is moderately susceptible to leaf spots (Xanthomonusfragariae).

The `Mirador` variety is moderately susceptible to injury by Tetranychusurticae. The `Mirador` variety is susceptable to injury by Tarsonemuspallidus, Aphis spp., and Lygus hesperus.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant,substantially as shown and described.